Test-tube burgers and the future of meat

A look at advances in the development of lab meat that may provide carnivores with their dinners in the future.

Over the past century, meat consumption has risen dramatically. On average, Britons eat 84kg a week per person per year, and global meat consumption is on track to rise 75 percent by 2050.

Industrial farming is also on the rise, but animal agriculture has a lot of downsides. It is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, habitat destruction and it is responsible for more CO2 being released into the atmosphere than all forms of transportation.

However, a potential solution is in the works as scientists around the world compete to be the first to create a lab-grown burger to market to the masses. Growing meat in a lab is a revolutionary technique that boasts many pros, including eliminating the need to harm live animals, eradicating the dedication of large swaths of land to the cultivation of animals, and dramatically reducing methane emissions.

It is just a matter of time before this is our best source of protein. It is humane and saves the environment. And for those who are against killing animals for food, they now have other protein options that do not go against their values.